IPL 2024 - KKR vs PBKS - Do Punjab Kings have the batting muscle to check KKR at Eden Gardens?

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Fit main points

Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR; 2d position) vs Punjab Kings (PBKS; ninth position)
Eden Gardens, Kolkata, 7:30pm IST (2pm GMT)

Large image – Absolute best bowling facet at batters’ paradise

Punjab Kings (PBKS) have many problems to unravel, however in spite of IPL 2024 being ruled by means of batters, bowling isn’t one among them.

PBKS are the one facet to not concede 200 or extra in an innings but – 199, two times, is essentially the most scored in opposition to them. Their bowling moderate of 24.94 is the most productive amongst all of the groups this season, with Kolkata Knight Riders’ (KKR) 25.47 subsequent in line. On the demise (overs 17 to twenty), PBKS have struck 23 instances, essentially the most by means of a crew in IPL 2024, and their moderate in that segment (15.73) is once more the most productive. They have got been the third-most economical bowling crew (8.98) this season too.

Now they’re at a venue – Eden Gardens – the place 200 has been crossed in each innings in 3 of the 4 suits thus far. It’s been the venue with the third-highest scoring charge (10.43) this season, with Hyderabad (10.92) and Delhi (11.48) forward.

All of which brings the PBKS batters into sharp center of attention. They’re the second-slowest scoring crew (with a strike charge of 137.31) and still have the second-lowest batting moderate (23.84). None in their batters have totalled 200 but, although 24 batters have crossed the mark – Shashank Singh with 195 runs is their main scorer.

KKR have no longer been a very easy facet to both ranking in opposition to or bowl to this season. They’re favourites right here. So PBKS have to attain larger than they have got thus far and be expecting the bowlers to do what they have got been doing, in KKR’s den. To not overlook, PBKS have simplest received 3 in their 12 video games – just one within the remaining 8 – at Eden Gardens.

Shape information

KKR WLWLW (remaining 5 suits, most up-to-date first)
PBKS LLLLW

Group information and affect participant technique

Kolkata Knight Riders: KKR have subbed out a batter for a quick bowler or a spinner, relying at the prerequisites and the placement of the sport, in each and every sport. Most often, Rinku Singh has no longer been used within the fielding innings, with one among Vaibhav Arora, Varun Chakravarthy and Suyash Sharma introduced in. Be expecting them to proceed with that.

Possible XII: 1 Phil Salt (wk), 2 Sunil Narine, 3 Angkrish Raghuvanshi, 4 Venkatesh Iyer, 5 Shreyas Iyer (capt), 6 Rinku Singh, 7 Andre Russell, 8 Ramandeep Singh, 9 Mitchell Starc, 10 Varun Chakravarthy, 11 Harshit Rana, 12 Suyash Sharma/Vaibhav Arora

Punjab Kings: Shikhar Dhawan will simplest be have compatibility for PBKS’ subsequent sport, consistent with spin-bowling trainer Sunil Joshi. Whether or not that implies Sam Curran opens once more or one among Rilee Rossouw and Jonny Bairstow companions Prabhsimran Singh is anyone’s wager.

Possible XII: 1 Prabhsimran Singh, 2 Rilee Rossouw/Jonny Bairstow, 3 Sam Curran (capt), 4 Jitesh Sharma (wk), 5 Liam Livingstone, 6 Shashank Singh, 7 Ashutosh Sharma, 8 Harpreet Brar, 9 Harshal Patel, 10 Kagiso Rabada, 11 Arshdeep Singh, 12 Harpreet Singh

Within the highlight – Mitchell Starc and Harshal Patel

Of all of the IPL grounds, the poorest financial system charge (13.50) when rapid bowlers bowl complete below lighting fixtures is at Eden Gardens. It is the venue Mitchell Starc, who likes to swing the ball from fuller lengths, has to name house in IPL 2024, and his returns have reflected the ones stats. His easiest efficiency this season – 3 for 28 in opposition to Lucknow Tremendous Giants – got here in Kolkata whilst bowling first in a day sport. Starc’s financial system charge this season – 11.48 – is the poorest amongst bowlers who’ve bowled no less than 25 overs, and is the poorest for any bowler to have bowled no less than 20 overs within the first seven video games of an IPL season. Costliest in additional tactics than one, Starc has to reside as much as his popularity at some degree.

Harshal Patel had a forgettable begin to IPL 2024 – 4 wickets at a median of over 45 and an financial system charge of eleven.31 within the first 4 video games. However since then, he has returned 9 wickets – seven of the ones on the demise – at a median of a color below 11 and an financial system of seven.46. He has been efficient along with his adjustments of tempo in addition to angles, and has bowled in each and every of the 3 levels within the remaining 4 suits. About 80% of his wickets are of right-hand batters, and KKR have quite a few them, together with Andre Russell – Harshal has pushed aside him two times in 26 balls in all T20s.

Pitch and prerequisites

The KKR batters, particularly the openers, have thrived at the high-scoring pitches in Kolkata. Be expecting a equivalent floor on Friday. Rapid bowlers have had an financial system of 10.74 in Kolkata versus the spinners’ 9.31, and numerous that has to do with the good fortune of Sunil Narine (16 overs, six wickets, financial system 6.25) and Varun Chakravarthy (16 overs, 5 wickets, financial system 9.81).

Stats that subject

Narine’s 33 wickets in opposition to Kings are essentially the most for him in opposition to a unmarried opponent within the IPL. He averages 19.90 in opposition to them and has an financial system of seven.06
Within the IPL, Shreyas Iyer has scored 12 off 5 balls in opposition to Kagiso Rabada, however in all T20s, it is 19 off 21. Alternatively, Rabada hasn’t ever pushed aside Iyer
Russell vs Curran is a correct cat-and-mouse sport. Russell moves at 221.4 in opposition to Curran for 3 dismissals in 28 balls in all T20s. Curran additionally offers it again: 39 runs in 21 balls for one dismissal in opposition to Russell in T20s.

Quotes

“I will be able to get to bowl when the chance arises, I’m operating on my bowling. The Affect Participant rule is such that using the allrounder is decreased. Each crew desires to bowl with their major rapid bowlers.”
KKR allrounder Ramandeep Singh

“Jitesh is a high quality batter, and we all know that the time has come for him to fireplace. There are a couple of gamers within the IPL, who’re desperate to be a part of India’s T20 International Cup squad. For many of the gamers, making it to the Indian crew will stay haunting them. So center of attention at the fundamentals. You have to carry out and take it ball-by-ball, depart variety to the individuals who make a decision.”
PBKS spin-bowling trainer Sunil Joshi‘s message to Jitesh Sharma

S Sudarshanan is a sub-editor at ESPNcricinfo. @Sudarshanan7

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